This guide is designed to serve as an inexpensive, portable, and
comprehensive source of basic information and reference material for
new and experienced collectors. It explains and traces the historical
evolution of telegraph apparatus designs. Since over 2000 different
kinds of telegraph instruments have been manufactured, it is
impossible to describe every item that you may find. Additional
detailed descriptions and color photographs of over 1000 telegraph
items may be found in my internet museum at:
http://w1tp.com
- Introduction:
- Acknowledgments
- Notes on prices
- Table of Contents
- Historical Background
- Telegraph Key Lever Shapes:
- Pre-Morse Land-Line Telegraph: (1830's-1884)
- Morse Land-Line Telegraph: (1844-1881)
- Post-"Triumph Key" Land-Line Telegraph: (1881-1950's)
- Practice Sets and Practice Machines: (1881-1950's)
- Semi-Automatic Keys or "Bugs": (1904-present)
- Electronic Keyers and Paddles: (1950's-present)
- Spark and Wireless Keys: (1910-present)
- Radio Keys: (1920's-present)
- American Military Keys: (1910-present)
- British Military Keys: (1910-present)
- Canadian Military Keys: (1910-present)
- German Military Keys: (1910-present)
- Japanese & Chinese Military Keys: (1910-present
- Russian & Czech Military Keys: (1910-present)
- Homemade Keys and Novelty Items:
- Roger Reinke's Early Telegraph Manufacturer's List:
- Neal McEwen's List of Bug Manufacturers:
- Doug Seneker's Bug List:
- Base Widths of Vibroplex Bugs - From Tom French:
- Larry Nutting's J-Series Key Identification List:
- Neal McEwen's Military Manufacturer's Codes List:
- How to Adjust Telegraph Keys:
- Notes on Restoring Telegraph Items:
- Bibliography and References:
- Internet Links to Telegraph Sites:
- A Few Vibroplex Manufacturing Dates from John Elwood's Published Research:
- Price Guide and Guide to Internet Museum Photographs:
Here are a few Photographs of the Cover and of Sample Pages:
Here is a view of the Front Cover:(51KB)
Here is a view of page 19:(81KB)
Here is a view of page 41:(77KB)
AVAILABILITY - HOW TO ORDER
CORRECTIONS AND REVISIONS:
Click here for latest corrections and revisions:
REVISED DOWNLOADABLE PRICE LISTS:
Click here for latest downloadable revised price list:
NOTE: I AM ALWAYS LOOKING TO PHOTOGRAPH, EXTREMELY UNUSUAL TELEGRAPH KEYS !
ORDERING INFORMATION:
The book is available from:
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL):
http://www.arrl.org/shop/History-and-Adventure/
European Buyers may prefer to purchase it from:
The Radio Society of Great Britain: http://www.rsgbshop.org/
You may have to search around a bit to find the book since they publish a
wide variety of books and other media.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS BY Prof. Tom Perera:
TELEGRAPH COLLECTORS REFERENCE CD (2nd Edition):
A Complete library for the Telegraph Collector with over 7000 Photographs,
Descriptions, Books, Maps, Videos and Lists: (Order from sources above.)
PERERA'S TELEGRAPH COLLECTORS GUIDE (3rd. Edition):
A complete telegraph collectors reference library with 300 photos and
a price guide. (Order from sources above)
Inside ENIGMA and other Famous Cipher Machines:
The Technology of the Enigma and other cipher machines with 208 pages and over
500 illustrations. (Order from sources above.)
The Story of the ENIGMA: History, Technology, and Deciphering (4th. Edition):
A Complete Enigma Library on a CD-ROM. (Order from sources above.)
Tom Perera Ph. D. - W1TP
Professor Emeritus:
Montclair State University
- Email Address:
(To help me avoid automated 'junk mail' programs,
I ask you to type my email address as
follows with no spaces between words:)
- PLEASE TYPE: keys
- THEN TYPE THE @ SYMBOL
- THEN TYPE: w1tp.com
- Please NOTE: It is w1tp Not: wLtp or wItp.
- Please NOTE: You MUST include the word KEYS in the Email Subject Line.
- ( Please Enquire Before Sending Attachments Larger Than 100KB ! )
Online Internet Telegraph Museums:
http://w1tp.com
Online Internet Enigma Museum:
http://EnigmaMuseum.com